Athletics at the Summer Olympics

(Redirected from Olympic athletics programme)

Athletics has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. The athletics program traces its earliest roots to events used in the ancient Greek Olympics. The modern program includes track and field events, road running events, and race walking events. Cross country running was also on the program in earlier editions but it was dropped after the 1924 Summer Olympics.

Athletics at the Summer Olympics
IOC CodeATH
Governing bodyWorld Athletics
Events48 (men: 23; women: 23; mixed: 2)
Summer Olympics

Summary

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Games Year Events Best Nation
1 189612 United States (1)
2 190023 United States (2)
3 190425 United States (3)
4 190826 United States (4)
5 191230 United States (5)
6
7 192029 United States (6)
8 192427 United States (7)
9 192827 United States (8)
10 193229 United States (9)
11 193629 United States (10)
12
13
14 194833 United States (11)
15 195233 United States (12)
16 195633 United States (13)
17 196034 United States (14)
Games Year Events Best nation
18 196436 United States (15)
19 196836 United States (16)
20 197238 Soviet Union (1)
21 197637 East Germany (1)
22 198038 Soviet Union (2)
23 198441 United States (17)
24 198842 United States (18)
25 199243 United States (19)
26 199644 United States (20)
27 200046 United States (21)
28 200446 United States (22)
29 200847 United States (23)
30 201247 United States (24)
31 201647 United States (25)
32 202048 United States (26)
33 202448 United States (27)

Events

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The events contested have varied widely. From 1900 to 1920, tug of war was considered to be part of the Olympic athletics programme, although the sports of tug of war and athletics are now considered distinct.[1]

Men's events

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No new events have been added to the men's athletics programme since the 1956 addition of the short racewalk. The roster of events has not changed since then, with the exception of the omission of the long racewalk in 1976 (the IAAF held a 50 km walk World Championships that year instead and as a result the event was restored in 1980). The long racewalk is the only event currently held for men but not included on the women's programme, with the exception of women taking part in the heptathlon rather than the decathlon and the 100 metres hurdles rather than the 110 metres hurdles. The last women's event added to the roster was the 3000 metres steeplechase in 2008.

A total of 52 different events have been held in the men's competition. The current list comprises 23 events. Many of the discontinued events were similar to modern ones but at different lengths, especially in the steeplechasing, hurdling, and racewalking disciplines. Team racing events have been eliminated after appearing in six early editions of the Games. The athletic triathlon (an unusual event, held only once and featuring gymnasts competing in the long jump, shot put, and 100 metre dash) and pentathlon multi-discipline events were phased out in favor of the decathlon, and the medley relay replaced with even-leg relays. Standing jump competitions are no longer held, nor are the various modified throwing events which were experimented with in 1908 and 1912. Cross country running was on the program from 1912 to 1924 and is the most prominent form of athletics not to feature at the Olympics.

Past events that occurred only once

Past events that occurred twice to five times

Women's events

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Women's competition in athletics began at the 1928 Summer Olympics.

Mixed events

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The mixed event, a 4 × 400 metres relay, first made an appearance at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[2] The event includes teams of four athletes, two men and two women who run in the order man–woman–man–woman (before 2022, each team was allowed to decide the running order individually). Paris 2024 featured another mixed team event: the Marathon Race Walking Mixed Relay, which includes teams of two athletes, one male and one female.[3] Another mixed event called 4 × 100 metres relay was added to the Athletics programme by IOC in 2025 and is scheduled to debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.[citation needed]

Nations

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Every nation that has competed at the Olympics has entered the athletics competition. The numbers below represent how many athletes each nation sent that year, starting with 1896.[4]

NOTE: This table is a work in progress. The empty boxes in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 columns do not necessarily mean that the country did not send athletes that year.

Nation96000408122024283236485256606468727680848892960004081216202428Years
 Afghanistan 2522222229
 Albania 1222212229
 Algeria 49912982120126155813
 American Samoa 1222112119
 Andorra 111222211110
 Angola 3652211221111
 Antigua and Barbuda 8101058234372212
 Argentina 10711824162466927248118119135623
 Armenia 232245118
 Aruba 221215
 Australasia 952
 Australia 11249745181776283524222721302835608242405059637528
 Austria 1212742291515398121561161016111263767727
 Azerbaijan 444234218
 Bahamas 12388814118201916182024131617
 Bahrain 1361261192614811
 Bangladesh 1442212121111
 Barbados 27996841133466214
 Belarus 343141474436307
 Belgium 624217321318216121015152519151371299171426294326
 Belize 224554223222113
 Benin 19645222223212
 Bermuda 6228454311222114
 Bohemia 43113
 Bolivia 413263222262213
 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4242225219
 Botswana 766566973991012
 Brazil 81910121065132811202024401834413067534423
 British Virgin Islands 4216112232311
 British West Indies 71
 Brunei 1122116
 Bulgaria 4248991819472221172219158115519
 Burkina Faso 1434232222211
 Burundi 765236348
 Cameroon 114495781175221215
 Cambodia 4222222119
 Canada 46271814273229282722181616273255616348393621294266574828
 Cape Verde 321122118
 Cayman Islands 211222222110
 Central African Republic 11185222221112
 Chad 2333644212121114
 Chile 623810151564382165347368103924
 China 1223224433312652665156505414
 Chinese Taipei 465117101227223666416
 Colombia 152444774585131111142934261820
 Comoros 422222218
 Republic of the Congo 2666762212221114
 Democratic Republic of the Congo 2672222221111
 Cook Islands 211122221110
 Costa Rica 21348213433112
 Croatia 23151210910799
 Cuba 11352331819261734463333434643181820
 Cyprus 34581076473311
 Czech Republic 232436293126263011
 Czechoslovakia 161811331112016221213271422231816
 Denmark 348141891021016112946133235374536813429
 Djibouti 355322253410
 Dominica 522222228
 Dominican Republic 19224332569137914
 East Germany 47625882585
 Timor-Leste 2122118
 Ecuador 311357438111316171514
 Egypt 21427174224644615
 Eritrea 34101110987
 Equatorial Guinea 4675222222211
 El Salvador 10422222222111
 Estonia 7114175135151410187514
 Ethiopia 8559202515162424273135333215
 Federated States of Micronesia 22222117
 Fiji 121224877122221116
 Finland 15232652352237366919261710323126221826262323191716212527
 France 521(1)19255970501240655429363840494431435557495355484754659030
 Gabon 2124222221111
 The Gambia 10359222222311
 Georgia 223245518
 Germany 56220246227773979856471537115
 Ghana 7712813151181518103213
 Great Britain 5931266141655524527966556162687052618510291777254586927
 Greece 30210125912137141511619571212810611254356322327
 Grenada 224523868
 Guam 62222227
 Guatemala 653716754610
 Guinea 325421228
 Guinea-Bissau 222225
 Guyana 124124336423313
 Haiti 3227101323344413
 Honduras 633341112210
 Hong Kong 4333151259
 Hungary 392192716265251235192631313316271524223735201825
 Iceland 1411927234747743623319
 India 137744888111328411852624171414342625
 Independent Olympic Participants 9223
 Indonesia 13111551522212
 Iran 12181341211261014
 Iraq 2114621222210
 Ireland 1010410239751377171819243211162120
 Israel 718522644854313
 Italy 212122436242132253321472226403226513839504735453325
 Ivory Coast 67686995821312
 Jamaica 10761515211416322628384341454216
 Japan 211816344619202064191915222931324038374421
 Jordan 52222227
 Kazakhstan 18252119245
 Kenya 85111822323338433631374213
 Kiribati 2123
 Kuwait 22682641452312
 Kyrgyzstan 687525
 Laos 715522228
 Latvia 106277161715162210
 Lebanon 1212331222211
 Lesotho 152369224310
 Liberia 4415745823311
 Libya 1721412229
 Liechtenstein 22222333211112
 Lithuania 58141812182017111110
 Luxembourg 26346673631131131118
 North Macedonia 22224
 Madagascar 3373256732211
 Malawi 11554222229
 Malaysia 732
 Malaysia 1210832213223222115
 Maldives 755222221110
 Mali 21132333222212
 Malta 2112222229
 Marshall Islands 222
 Mauritius 4331264328
 Mauritania 26422227
 Mexico 111125352155261177162124152227231821
 Moldova 711121485
 Monaco 21111117
 Montenegro 222
 Mongolia 3111222229
 Morocco 844831113172422262112
 Mozambique 9733122129
 Myanmar 111222123222213
 Namibia 3363436
 Nepal 22155712222212
 Netherlands 19111205071822101081275913181510920141823
 Netherlands Antilles 23112217
 New Zealand 21363349141491610146131881310821
 Nicaragua 755212122210
 Niger 233322228
 Nigeria 910814151916172314322817222115
 North Borneo 21
 North Korea 2333464659
 North Yemen 242
 Norway 211211610133112019511651310131291312991124
 Oman 754141228
 Pakistan 5161912652374222222217
 Palau 22224
 Palestine 112225
 Panama 14411211122312
 Papua New Guinea 3566622229
 Paraguay 215332222210
 Peru 99343152125223515
 Philippines 12161147114616432222220
 Poland 1415717729234935314532482124233545605220
 Portugal 3331247531663142836302126272421
 Puerto Rico 4107766910145758351016
 Qatar 6811912101468
 Rhodesia 232
 Russia 13285109115104977
 Romania 135125912111816219525252326171718
 Rwanda 367433238
 Saar 61
 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1022445
 Saint Lucia 531325
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 66822227
 Samoa 2122216
 San Marino 212251111110
 São Tomé and Príncipe 222225
 Saudi Arabia 10146291178109
 Senegal 129121010111297992613
 Serbia 210143
 Serbia and Montenegro 82473
 Seychelles 954222229
 Sierra Leone 212581112222210
 Singapore 114131222210
 Slovakia 14161218115
 Slovenia 410191917128
 Solomon Islands 21322227
 Somalia 375422228
 South Africa 367131294146139716222332232018
 South Korea 96761742114711171318171715
 South Vietnam 1213
 South Yemen 31
 Soviet Union 7775818470747099839
 Spain 141310713610111721263459565856544618
 Sri Lanka 311111342761342215
 Suriname 1122322222211
 Sudan 2263333248411
 Swaziland 1355422229
 Sweden 183110664332993750451726161826191624111917141212926
 Switzerland 11131793192028211222287151719152313971123
 Syria 11213132229
 Tajikistan 122225
 Tanzania 4371612645487312
 Thailand 888184410418812311214
 Togo 2334522129
 Tonga 24222227
 Trinidad and Tobago 336810109113561514232015
 Tunisia 116342216934512
 Turkey 24513131344325423513153118
 Turkmenistan 122225
 Tuvalu 222
 Uganda 3483861013445471114
 Ukraine 43545066735
 Unified Team 991
 United Team of Germany 4390973
 United Arab Emirates 74111127
 United Arab Republic 21
 United States 104186841099096988277767181818691959211011411712111611612112512812828
 Uruguay 5211321122433214
 Uzbekistan 12221012135
 Vanuatu 36422227
 Venezuela 747661011346541214
 Vietnam 724222228
 Virgin Islands 21347107322411
 West Germany 67875458475
 Yemen 3321226
 Yugoslavia 5412115197229816131461015
 Zambia 53794444422312
 Zimbabwe 346776867310
No. of nations101510202725404034435357597280921047970124148156190193196200201201196200
Year 96000408122024283236485256606468727680848892960004081216202428

Medal table

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Updated after the 2024 Summer Olympics, considering stripped medals and reallocated medals as of August 2024.

Sources:[5][6][7]

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 United States358280223861
2 Soviet Union645574193
3 Great Britain568777220
4 Finland483630114
5 Kenya384336117
6 East Germany383635109
7 Poland29201867
8 Jamaica27392793
9 Italy24162868
10 Ethiopia24152362
11 Australia22293283
12 Sweden21234185
13 Germany20303787
14 China20131851
15 Canada19193371
16 Russia18211958
17 France13283071
18 West Germany12141743
19 Cuba11142045
20 Romania11141035
21 Czechoslovakia118524
22 New Zealand1141328
23 Hungary10131841
24 Netherlands1081230
25 Norway108826
26 South Africa915630
27 Greece9121132
28 Japan8101028
29 Morocco85821
30 Unified Team711321
31 Belgium76417
32 Bahamas72514
33 Bulgaria58619
34 Spain56920
35 Brazil541221
36 Portugal54413
37 Czech Republic53816
38 Uganda5229
39 United Team of Germany418830
40 Algeria43310
41 Ireland4217
42 Mexico36211
43 Belarus35715
44 Trinidad and Tobago34815
45 Ukraine331521
46 Bahrain3306
 Dominican Republic3306
48 Lithuania3227
49 Croatia3126
50 Nigeria25714
51 Argentina2305
52 Tunisia2215
53 Ecuador2204
54 Estonia2136
55 Kazakhstan2125
56 Cameroon2002
 Luxembourg2002
58 Colombia1315
59 India1304
60 Austria1258
61 Qatar1225
62 Botswana1214
 Slovenia1214
64 Grenada1135
65 Venezuela1113
66 Burundi1102
 Mixed team1102
 ROC (ROC)1102
 Saint Lucia1102
 South Korea1102
71 Panama1023
 Puerto Rico1023
73 Mozambique1012
74 Dominica1001
 Pakistan1001
 Slovakia1001
 Syria1001
 Tajikistan1001
79 Switzerland0628
80 Namibia0505
81 Denmark0437
82 Latvia0415
83 Chile0202
 Sri Lanka0202
 Tanzania0202
 Yugoslavia0202
87 Chinese Taipei0112
 Iceland0112
 Zambia0112
90 Bohemia0101
 Guatemala0101
 Haiti0101
 Iran0101
 Ivory Coast0101
 Saudi Arabia0101
 Senegal0101
 Sudan0101
98 British West Indies0022
 Philippines0022
 Turkey0022
101 Australasia0011
 Barbados0011
 Burkina Faso0011
 Djibouti0011
 Eritrea0011
 Serbia0011
Totals (106 entries)1,0831,0841,0733,240

See also

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References

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  1. Past Olympic Sports. Olympics/IOC. Retrieved on 2010-08-30.
  2. "Olympic News - Sports News, Events & Athletes". Archived from the original on 2021-10-05. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  3. "Mixed team race walking to debut at Paris 2024 Olympics". www.insidethegames.biz. 2021-06-11. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
  4. "Olympics Site Closed | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". www.sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  5. "Olympic Analytics - Medals by Countries". olympanalyt.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  6. Historical Medallists
  7. "2016 medalists". rio2016.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-22.
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